This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for placing fiber bales in readiness in a row along a travelling fiber bale opener wherein the leading (that is, first-deposited) bale or bales are positioned with a slight inclination in one direction and the other fiber bales are positioned upright or with an inclination toward the opposite direction.
The fiber bales, after wrappers and bale ties have been removed therefrom, are transported individually or in a plurality from the bale storage or a standby station in the spinning preparation plant to the bale opener where they are positioned in a row for removal of fiber tufts by the bale opener. Frequently, for transporting the fiber bales a fork lift with gripper is used whose parallel tines (claws) are movable horizontally relative to one another. The gripper clamps together, for example, three bales laterally and is lifted, together with the fiber bales. Thereafter, the fork lift travels in the plant to the predetermined location where the fiber bale row is to be positioned, then the gripper is lowered and thus the fiber bales are deposited on the floor. Thereafter, the gripper is released and the fork lift moves away. The bale row, because of the horizontal force component of the operational force exerted during bale opening, has to be standing in a stable manner. For this purpose, the three initial bales of a bale series are situated with a slight inclination in one direction. During this procedure, operating personnel has to support the inclined initial bales--for preventing them from tipping over--until further fiber bales are set up in their immediate vicinity. For this purpose, such subsequent fiber bales are brought to the location where the fiber bales are set up and are positioned either upright or with a slight inclination in the other direction, against the initial fiber bales so that an additional support for the initial fiber bales can be discontinued. Such a procedure requires supplemental labor and involves significant safety risks. It is a further disadvantage of this method that an automatic positioning of the entire fiber bale series, particularly to prevent the initial bales from tipping over, is not possible without assistance from personnel. An automatic and stable positioning of a fiber bale series has therefore not been possible with known methods.